Siemens Acuris P BTE (Hi Power)
Reviewed by Bill Coberly on
October, 26 2005Siemens Acuris P BTE (Hi Power)I just got mine today. They are my third try for hearing aids. 7 years ago I returned the set after trial because they were too annoying. 3 years ago I bought a set and have used them only in certain situations but did not like to have them in. My wife and granddaughter have been gradually raising their voices around me to where people are telling me they are shouting at me.
Last week I tried a set of the Acuris P BTE on during an exam and was impressed. They let natural sound and air through. It did not get the instant itching and moisture build up that my previous set caused They are not noticable even on the first day as I am wearing them. It is evening now and I am watching TV at a volume that is comfortable to my family. I usualy must wear a head set with its own volume control and then cannot hear any conversation during that time. My old set blocked all natural sound and delivered amplified digital sound. While they amplified thesound of the TV I could still not follow most dialog that was taking place on screen but was now wincing at the loud sounds hear on most programs. These are different. I can hear the sounds that I would without a headset comming through but now the subtle sounds are filled in and the loud sounds are not so bothersome.
These let natural sound through and supliment it with amplification of the tones I have a dificult time hearing. I took the digital remote control and can change the intensity as I please. When I drove home, I turn them down to dampen road noise but turned them up at dinner to hear conversation. I had to remind my family several times that they no longer needed to shout and it was noted that I spoke in a lower tone.
It is also much easier to decern the direction sounds are coming from. That was more difficult with my previous set. I can talk on the phone or even wear a bluetooth head set now. I get a brief squeal when I first put it on but the digital brain takes over and adjusts the noise out immediately.
I play the irish whistle and was anxious to try it after dinner. Wow...the subtelty of the sounds awakes a creative need to manage them for effect. I would always take my other set out before playing because it made the tones harsh and unpleaseant to me.
I suspect this is as good as it gets at this point of developement in the hearing aid industry...till not perfect sound but a huge leap forward to solve the disomfort problems that disappointed me with previous hearing aids. I could recommend them to anyone who should wear hearing aids but hates to put them in. It is new technology that redefines what hearing aids do.They cost about the same as my first set of in the ear digitals but they actually work. I have lost more than that cost in single misunderstandings in business negotiations. I suppost a great comedy could be written
about misunderstandings inbusiness when two hearing impared parties hash out a deal. I made a quote fore shipping a machine verally to another guy who was hearing impared. I quoted $4,300, he thought I said $2,300 and repeated that back to me and I heard it as confirmation of $4,300 and said, "that's right". So the machine was shipped and guess who was out $2,000 There's one ear paid for right there...if had had a hearing device that I could tolerate wearing at that time.5